Ball-rolling game



June 4, 1929. T. USAMI BALL ROLLING GAME Filed Dec. 8, 1927 ATTORNEY Patented June 4, 1 929 UNITED STATES PATEN -orFicEg' TAKEo USAMI, or BROOKLYN, New YORK.

BA L-ROLLING GAME.

application filed December '8, 1927. Serial 110,238,678;

This invention relates to game devices and in particular to one in which a ball is adapted I which is beyond the control of the individual to be projected and a play recorded automatically by the ball projected.

A particular object of the invention is to provide in aball rolling game, an alley, which directs the ball to openings, the selection of and to so arrange the scoring devices that the selection of the high scoring members by the individual player cannot be readilyfaccomplished.

1 j A further Object of the invention is toprovide a game of ball rolling in which skill and luck are provided to create interest and one in which the score attained cannot be predict ed beforehand, that is, the particular scoring devices cannot be'manipulated by a,

certain throw of the ball as controlled by the 7 runways in which the balls operate.

j Toenable others skilled in the art to fully comprehend the underlying-features of my invention that they may embody the same in the various modifications in structure; and. relation contemplated, a drawlng deplctlng a preferredform has been annexedasa part of this disclosure and in such drawing, simiv lar reference characters denotecorresponding parts throughout all the views, of which,

Figure 1 is a view in perspective ofmy improved ball rolling game preparatoryto the 1 start of play,- the scoring devices or counters beingillustrated in their non-recording position and the ball holder being filled with the game balls.

Figure 2 is aview in top plan of the ball rolling game, thetop thereof being broken awayto show theconstruction of the guide runways which lead the balls after they have dropped through the ball receiving openings in the top piece to suitabletroughs in which arepivotally supported the counters or scor-. p

j into one of th'e'guide runways 21 and due to the inclination of the shelf 19, rolls through 'ing members, and

Figure 3 is a view in longitudinal section of my improved game device, the path of one of the balls being illustrated in outline.

Referring to the drawings in detail, 5 indicates' a housing made of sheet metal or other suitable material and consisting of the sides 6, top and bottoinS The portion of the housing is constricted as at 9 and atits front, end, is open' as at 10, the bottom adjacent the front endlof the housing .60

being provided with a ball retaining ledge 11,

so thatthe balls when they roll forward after 1 having-scored, will be retained in position to be picked out of. the housing and replacedv in the ball holder. I I V v i Positioned within the housing '5 is areturn flooring 12 which is inclined from rear to front so that theballs are automatically returned tothe' ball retaining ledge. The top 7 of the housing is provided with alo'ngi-' tudinally extending wall13 which, for a'portion of its length defines a ba lljrollingalley' 14, the wall at its inner end, being shapedin a circle to define a ball receiving field '15 .which is provided withopenings 16.. The openings, of course, are large enough to permit the ball,;indicated; by the numeral 17 to fall therethrough. The balls are normally retained inha suitable ball holder 18 which. is in the nature of an elongated boxiformed out of the material of thetop 7. anddis'posed at the front edge ofthe game housing;5. V

' It is of course to be understood that the ball holder 18 may be made 'separate,.as.may the walls 13 and in fact any of the partitions described or about to be described, can be made up separately and suitably soldered or other- .wise fastened into the housing or, in the in.

terest of cheaper manufacture, these-various walls may be punched out of the material of the housing, where the same is possible."

Intermediate the return 12 and upper wall or toptof the housing 7,-1 provide. a ball receiving shelf which is disposed at an angle to permit the balls to roll rearwardly, this i shelf being indicatedby the numeral 19 and being provided with the'upstanding walls 20 on the upper surface thereof. These walls 20 define guide runways 21 and the inner extremity of each of the guide runways21 is r j located directly beneath one of the ball open ings 16. V The result is, that when axball is projected down thealley 14 and dropped' through one of the ball openings 16, it drops of the guide runways 21, avsuitable wall 23 being provided to mark off each compartment and to retain the ball in its :proper rolling direction so that it will drop as the end of the shelfr19' on to' the ball receiving extension 2% which forms thebottom extremity of the counters 25. These counters,-and there is one provided for each ofthe compartments 22, are pivotally'mounted on a shaft 26, the

shaft being journalled in the side walls 6 of the housing and insuitable brackets 27 attached thereto. Each ofthe counters consists ofa score .tab 28 and a normally ,up-

standing Weighted blind 29. This blind is for the purpose of concealing the score on the tab 28' and consequently, the player, when I rolling the ball down the alley hasno idea r of the number that'will'be scored. The end 'of'the blindor the'blind forming extension 29 is weight-ed so that when the ball drops G-ofi" the shelf 19 and strikes the'eXtension 2%,

it will overbalance the counten'and the weighted 1 end 29 thereof willfmaintain the counter-in its score showing position.

Itis quite evident that there is an opening I 16 for-each of the alleys 2 1 and it is also quite evident that if'two balls drop intothe same scoringposition,I have made use of a finger piece30 which is p votedon the end of the opening that only the first'ball will'score be cause thewei-ghted end 29 of the counter will maintain the ball receiving extension out of the path of a ball dropping off the shelf 19 thus, a highdegree'of skill is necessary in order to place each of the balls in a diiie'rent hole, thus scoring on every counter with every ball.

In orderto return the counters to their nonshaft 26' and is free to revolve thereabout. This finger'piece' 3Q is provided with a transversely extending wire 31which rests in suitable cut-outs 32 in the-side walls of the housing and injthe'partitions23 so that it is out of the "way of the end'29 ofthe counters, thus allow-f ing the same to'lie flat on the ro'dso that the V 7 tabs 28-thereof will be in vertical position to effectively display the score thereon. The opposite end of the rod 31 or reset device, as it might better'be termed, is pivoted in the bracket 27 he'reinbefore,mentionedand it is quite evident that pressure onthe finger piece 30 will'throw the reset device 3l'up and any of the extensions 29 that are "restingthereon \vill'be returned to their vertical position, the score tabportions 28 being thrown down and the device will then appear as illustrated in Figure 1, after which. the, balls" are. taken away from the ball retaining ledge and placed in the ball holder 18 for further play.

It is evident, therefore,-that I have provided a ball rolling game device in which the balls may be passed down an alley, Will automati V rately measure cally record a score and will automatically return to the point of playso that it is not neces-i sary for the player to'retr'ieve theball after every complete play. In making a device of this kind suitable for resort play, a side opening could be provided so that the balls Would not return to the player but rather would be in position to becollectedby the person oper- V ating the'game device.

It will be noted that I have also provided counters having blinds thereon so that a player cannot judgein'advance'whatscore he can ings. V

roll by dropping the ballsinto certain open 7 If desired, the countersniaybe made of various colors to enhance the thereof. I 1

It is also evident that I have provided a simappearance uncertainty of its operation, provides amuse ment and recreatlon.

It is also evident that I have provided a game device wherein lackof skill in placingplified ball rolling game which,dueto'the the balls in certain openings will result in non-scoring and thus the device will accu players. V

IVhile I have illustrated and described my the relative skill of competing I: 7

invention with some degree ofparticul'arly, I realize that 1n practlce variousalterations therein may be made. I therefore reserve the right and privilege of changing the form of the details .of construction or otherwise altering the arrangement ofthe correlated-parts without departing 'irom the spirit of the invention or the scope of the appended claims. Having thus described my invention, what I claim .as new and desire to secure by United States Letters Patent-is i 1A gamedevice comprising a ball alley 1m in openings inone-end thereof through which the balls drop, a plurality of ball runways unposition, a reset rod common mall or said score members for returningthe' same to nonscoring positions after play and a finger piece for operating said reset rod.

' In testimony whereof I aflix my signature.

'TAKEO UsAi'ir v S1 t Y F 

